A Mandalorian's Honour
by Daemonette19
Summary: Set after Revelations. The crew detour to Tatooine , so Canderous can reacquaint himself with a comrade he had thought long dead.KOTOR LSF PLease R


This is my very first fic using dialogue from the game. I'm quite proud of it really. It came easily and I always feel that my better works are the ones where I've sat down and the story's just flowed. Hopefully you all agree.

Disclaimer : Star Wars and KOTOR are not mine. Tragically.

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**A Mandalorian's Honour**

They trekked silently over the dunes. Carth had spent hours already, arguing with the older Mandalorian. " But why? We're doing something just a little more important here, remember? It's over a fortnight back to Tatooine. We should stay here on Korriban. What about Bastila? And Dustil? We have other responsibilities, at the moment. Saving the Galaxy ring a bell! Let this Jagi guy kill you afterwards."

"We have business on Tatooine. A delivery and a … meeting" Avery's voice came whispering out of the dark. The rest of the crew, perhaps wisely, had scattered once the two men began fighting. She stepped into the central living quarters the ever present assassin droid a menacing presence at her back.

The recent revelation of her true identity and the capture of Bastila had sent her into semi-seclusion. Avery spent all her time in the port cargo hold with only HK for company. While she allowed Jolee and sometimes Juhani to come see her no-one else crossed the threshold of the room. On the few occasions she had decided to join in a communal meal she had picked at her rations silently and fled soon after. She stood now, purple eyes even larger in her drawn, pale face. Her already slender build had become skeletal and she clutched at the heavy black cloak she had acquired with spiderlike hands. The thin scars running down her face had faded quickly thanks to Jolee's treatment but she kept her face turned away slightly. Her posture seemed to indicate that she was about to run.

The two men froze watching her warily.

"Avery"

"Revan"

They greeted her.

Silence reigned for a few minutes until Carth noticed that she was trembling slightly. Going to her he peeled her hands away from the cloak and held them between his own. "Damn, Avery you're freezing. Come sit down, stay out here for a bit. You know the environmental controls are shoddy still"

"Bastila's blocked our bond. We can't sense her anymore"

Carth was still for a long moment. "You mean _you_ can't sense her anymore"

Avery watched him silently.

"Jolee warned us about this, Republic. Don't force her."

She turned to Canderous, "We're still trying to cope ourselves. It's not easy. HK has helped a lot. His memories and records of …..before."

" I'm not sure how Mission did it and I'm not prepared to ask but she got some of that coffee you like instead of the Republic Military issue on Korriban" Carth carefully handed her a steaming mug wrapping her hands around it like a child and only removing his when he was certain she could support it. He was attempting to act as normally as possible but he hadn't seen her since finding her in the engine room catatonic and bleeding. Before that they'd had just a few nights together between Kashyyk and their capture by the Leviathan. He had treated her unfairly afterwards but the assassin droid had prevented him from coming to see her since. Jolee had only just removed his arm from the cast. Now, she was another person, actually she was Avery _and_ another person as the blocks the Jedi Council had programmed her with started to collapse altogether.

He sat and watched as Canderous described his meeting with Jagi, one of his men thought deceased, from the battles at Althir. She listened quietly, cradling her cup and sipping slowly. "This is a matter between the Clans. You have to go."

"I knew you'd understand Revan. These others have no idea of Mandalorian honour."

"Not many do but we've spent a lot of time studying them and we know you"

Carth's heart leapt at the faint hint of her old crooked smile. "Carth, We promise you that we will find Dustil and I will defeat Malak" Where he had expected her voice to turn harsh on her enemy's name, instead it seemed to fill the room with sorrow. Avery looked so sad and he swore her bottom lip trembled, just a bit.

Canderous rested a large hand on her knee, squeezing reassuringly.

"You remember him from before now."

"Bits. He was a very good friend. Another part of our heart. We had another friend who we were just as close too. The three of us completed each other but the two of them. You would swear they shared souls."

Carth pitched in, "Another Dark Lord?"

"No, another Jedi. She returned to the Council after the war. If we could only remember her name."

"Answer: Renee Eran, Master. The two of you spoke about her sometimes. Meatbag Malak wished to continue looking for her but you felt that if she wished to join you both she would have by now. Reassuring Statement: I believe you were correct, Master. The two of you searched thoroughly."

That familiar crooked grin again. "Thank you HK"

The droid clanked along behind them now, never far from his master, sighting down his rifle and calculating wind speeds and trajectories in a happy tone. As they were about to reach the coordinates Jagi had given Canderous, the three looked at each other before heading over the last sand hill. Avery laughed suddenly, "Mercy, Look at us, it's like a bad joke. An Officer, a Mandalorian and a Dark Lord walk over a dune." She kissed them both softly before stepping back. Shrugging her cloak back over her shoulders she checked the releases on both lightsabers and the flash grenades at her belt.

"This is my fight. You dishonour me if you interfere, Revan."

"If he cheats I cheat, and the both of me are better at it than he is."

"Avery's right. I don't trust this guy either. Didn't he say the clans were gathering to bear witness or something? I haven't seen anyone since that last Sandpeople attack"

Canderous grumbled to himself for a minute. "Very well, If and only if he's betrayed his honour take out the others. Leave Jagi to me."

Cresting the dune they found Jagi waiting flanked by a couple of Rodian thugs. "Ah, so you managed to come after all. I see you brought friends, Canderous."

"As did you. They won't interfere. Where are the Clans, Jagi?"

"Watching. I foresaw that you might need help so I arranged a distraction" He indicated the Rodians with a wide sweep of his arm.

"I came by my own will, Jagi, Canderous didn't ask it of us"

"I do not need to hear your excuses, Jedi," Jagi spat, "I know why he brought you!"

Canderous harsh voice drowned them both out, "Enough of this talk, Jagi! Let us do what we came here to do." Avery grabbed his arm, her desperation written all over her scarred face.

"We both know the stakes here Canderous, and we both know what we must do.

"This is a matter of honour. I cannot stand by this insult. I must do this."

"You don't seem very confident, Canderous." She whispered.

He shrugged, "He's younger, faster and hasn't been living shipboard for the last few months. I've been better than everyone else I've come against except you. If he's as good as he promised to be before Althir he may just beat me. He certainly wants it bad enough." He sighed, "I made the right decision on Althir, whether he understands or not."

"If you fall, I'll kill him!" Her voice was hard, her hands on his shoulders urging him to believe her.

"Revan,.."

"No. If he takes you from us. He's dead. HK Come here"

The droid obediently came to her side. "Eager request: Master! Am I finally to engage in carnage!"

"If necessary. Initiate your assassination protocols. The Mandalorian Jagi is your primary target should Canderous and I be killed. Make it painful."

"Avery, what about Malak and the fourth Star map? You can't sacrifice everything for this." Carth's panicked tones cut through her own fear and anger a little.

"Carth, HK knows the location of the fourth Star Map. His secondary target is Malak. Make his death swift and sure, HK. Take T3 to help."

"Pleading: Master! Please do not make me take the little trash compactor. Please Master. My abilities are sufficient enough."

"You will take T3, HK-47. You will obey our will in all things, understood?"

"Answer: Yes Master." The droid took a few steps back to his customary position just behind her left shoulder.

Canderous looked down at the small, determined woman gazing up at him. Her indigo eyes still dominated her thin face. Her grasp of his shoulders was such that he thought he should have been able to feel her fingers through the hard shell of his armour. The bones of her knuckles stark against the skin. He touched the lightsaber scar at her left eye and gently raised her chin. "You're strong enough to take them all on. Both of you, Avery and Revan. Take both names. Make them yours.

She reached up, taking his face in her hands. His own scarred temple and brow, strong jaw and steely eyes. She kissed Canderous fiercely, clinging to him desperately for a second. Carth grabbed her by the arm to stop her going after him. "Would you mourn for me like that?"

"I already have, we wept every moment we were on the Leviathan. Watching you walk towards Saul. Just like he's walking towards Jagi, now." She gestured to where Canderous was making his way down the dune. Carth sighed, "You interfered then what's stopping you now?"

"We promised. We can't do that. To undermine his honour would destroy him."

"So don't interfere just do what you do best."

"What? Interfere?"

Carth smiled, "No, ask questions"

Within moments she was slipping and sliding down the side of the dune towards the two Mandalorians, "Jagi! Why do you need to fight, Canderous?" Her voice split the tension between the two circling warriors. Canderous growled in frustration but Jagi answered Avery, ever ready to present his argument.

"In the battle above the world of Althir, he ordered us to attack the enemy flank, promising us support. But when he saw better prospects for his own glory, he abandoned us and left us to die surrounded by our enemies!"

"If I had not attacked when I did, the battle would not have been won so easily!"

"It would still have been won! You sent your own men to die there, Canderous. I cannot forgive you for what you did to me and my battle brothers! You will pay!"

"That's not the way it happened.." Canderous voice fell away, he was so tired of having to justify himself.

Avery stood brushing sand from her cloak and black body armour. "Canderous, did you abandon them?"

The look he gave her was of absolute betrayal. "The Althiri were fighting hard. I saw a break in their defences that left their centre exposed. I had to take the chance. If I had not done what I did, many more warriors would have died and the battle would have taken much longer. I stand by my decision."

"You coward! You glory hunter! You were given direct orders and were part of a plan. You had a responsibility to us!"

Canderous shook his head, "I…I can regret their loss but it was necessary."

Taking a slow, cautious step forward Avery tried to get through to the younger man. "Jagi, what he did was a smart tactical move."

On the top of the surrounding dunes Carth watched and HK waited. The droid had settled himself in a kneeling position and frozen, sighting down the upgraded rifle. He held the position as only a machine could, making thousands of calculations and minute adjustments a second. Carth meanwhile was listening and observing carefully. The harshness with which Avery had just spoken was indicative of Revan and he couldn't help but feel that they needed some of Avery's compassion right now not the former Dark Lords ruthless practicality.

"He left us to die when his responsibility was to us! Instead he went hunting more glory for himself" Carth didn't know if anyone else down there was getting sick of Jagi's repetitive hysterics but he certainly was. From the way Canderous was squeezing the bridge of his nose and looking down, he thought the older Mandalorian was too. Avery had moved a little closer and this time her tone was that of the Avery Khan he had come to … care for. "Jagi, Canderous saved other lives by doing what he did."

Jagi shook his head fiercely," He cost us ours! But … but I do see your point, Jedi. Just… why? Why did you have to leave us there to die while you chased glory elsewhere?"

"I saw a chance and had to take it. It ended the battle quicker than we would of otherwise, and many more of our warriors may have died. Mandalore, himself, taught us that opportunism and flexibility in battle were to be admired. You may contradict me but do you contradict him as well?"

Jagi paled abruptly, "No! I… I… I see that I have been wrong. I have not been true to the teachings of Mandalore. You were right, Canderous. I was wrong to question your honour." Jagi looked at him gravely, "I must now cleanse mine with my life." He drew a vibrodagger from his belt

Carth saw the look of dawning horror on Avery's face, "No! Jagi you don't have to do this!" She ran forward only to halt when bright arterial blood caught the suns as it flew through the air. As she and Canderous made their way to Jagi's body two shots streaked overhead. HK gave a clanking shrug, "Statement: They were drawing their weapons, Master" The two Rodians lay in smoking heaps.

Canderous knelt by Jagi's body and swept a hand over the dead mans face closing his eyes, "And so shall it be." A number of armoured Mandalorians blurred into sight. In a tinny voice one completed the ritual, "The Clans bear witness. Canderous of Ordo, your honour is intact." Canderous nodded shortly and walked off into the sea of sand.

Carth and HK slid down to Avery and followed after Canderous the droid moving automatically to just behind her left shoulder. "We knew we shouldn't of interfered."

"You just asked questions. Jagi found the truth by himself. Give him time. I never stay angry at you."

Avery smiled sadly, "No, but sometimes it's for a very long time. Do you think Jolee could bring the Hawk out here and pick us up? I want to get back to Korriban as soon as possible."

"There's no trees out here, he should be alright."

"Next stop is Dustil, Carth. We promise"

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